This paper reports results from a "natural experiment" taking place in China on the impact of dogs on owners' health. Previous Western research has reported modest health benefits, but results have remained controversial. In China pets were banned in urban areas until 1992. Since then dog ownership has grown quite rapidly in the major…

This article reports a summary of research by Warren Zigman and colleagues investigating the link between cholesterol levels and Alzheimer type dementia among adults with Down syndrome. Warren Zigman and colleagues followed 123 adults with Down syndrome between May 1998 and April 2006. The participants were aged between 41 and 78 years at the…

Background: This article examines the development and implementation of "Prove It! Let the Data Tell the Story", a day-and-a-half replicable training curriculum designed to enhance the data and information skills of public health professionals. Purpose: Prove It! emphasizes the importance of reliable and valid health data collection,…

School-based sexualities and relationships education (SRE) offers one of the most promising means of improving young people's sexual health through developing "sexual competence". In the absence of evidence on whether the term holds the same meanings for young people and adults (e.g. teachers, researchers, policy-makers), the paper…

We conduct an evaluation of MedShare, a program designed to enhance access to prescription drugs for indigent patients in the Greater Cincinnati area. The program expands access to drugs by providing subsidies to reduce the costs paid by patients for their prescriptions. The assumption is that by expanding access to prescription drugs, participant…

This is an edited version of a recent interview with Annette Mendelsohn, Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist at the Royal Free Hospital, London, UK. It aims to make available in published form Mendelsohn's thinking and approach in relation to her work with traumatised children in a hospital setting. Mendelsohn also discusses her work in a…

Meta-evaluations reported in the literature, although rare, often have focused on retrospective assessment of completed evaluations. Conducting a meta-evaluation concurrently with the evaluation modifies this approach. This method provides the opportunity for the meta-evaluators to advise the evaluators and provides the basis for a summative…

This issue brief explores levels of physical activity among high school students in Chicago Public Schools, including participation in sports, informal exercise, and other activities. Latent class analysis was used to classify students' levels of physical activity, revealing low levels of activity among most high school students. Multilevel…

This newsletter, published five times a year, features articles on issues of concern to adult, family, and youth literacy practitioners, as well as recommended resources, announcements, and teaching strategies. This issue includes: (1) Literacy Zones Fight Poverty and Close Education Gaps (Robert Purga); (2) Staying at the Table: Building a…

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, men who have sex with men account for the largest proportion of cumulative AIDS cases among Asian Pacific Islanders. Yet little is known about the factors that need to be addressed in developing culturally competent intervention strategies for members of this group. This article explores…

The purpose of this project was to formulate an effective change strategy for head lice management in a group of five separate school districts within one county. Despite a desire to use evidence to support their practice, school nurses often encounter educational system barriers that prevent independent management of health conditions. The use of…

Universal childhood influenza vaccination presents challenges and opportunities for health care and public health systems to vaccinate the children who fall under the new recommendation. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations and guidelines are helpful, but they do not provide strategies on how to deliver immunization…

Knowledge of health behavior theory allows health practitioners to design health promotion interventions that are based on factors that influence behavior. Objectives: At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to: (1) identify and define the three major levels of influence of the Ecological Perspective, (2) identify how each level of…

This study examined the effect of health worry (i.e., cognitive aspect of anxiety resulting from concern for health) on walking difficulty in a nationally representative sample (N = 7,527) of older adults (M age = 76.83 years). The study further tested whether physical activity mediates the effect of health worry on walking difficulty in a 6-year…

The purpose of this study was twofold: first, to examine the sexual behavior of emerging adult women in relation to their sexual knowledge, sexual attitudes, and perceptions of their parents' sexual attitudes; and second, to discuss the implications of this research in working with young adult women. Three hundred and sixty-four college-age women…